update information: Below is live coverage of Wednesday’s 12:05 a.m. ET as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on the Starlink 6-27 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team’s live coverage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Starlink 6-27 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX is currently considering launching its Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX reports that in the event of a delay, six consecutive backup opportunities will be available from 12:56 a.m. ET to 2:59 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
The Falcon 9 will deploy 23 Starlink internet beam satellites packed inside the 230-foot rocket’s payload fairing.
Localized sonic booms are not expected. The rocket’s first stage booster will aim to land on a drone ship at sea eight and a half minutes after liftoff, after rising skyward along a southeastern trajectory.
more: Rocket Launch Schedule: Upcoming Florida Launches and Landings
Updated at 12:14 a.m. EDT: The Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed aboard SpaceX’s Just Read the Instructions drone ship, landing in the Atlantic Ocean after its 11th flight.
Updated at 12:05 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The first stage booster must land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean within eight and a half minutes.
Updated at 12am EDT: SpaceX’s live launch webcast, hosted on X (formerly Twitter), is posted at the top of this page.
The launch is scheduled to take place within five minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Updated at 11:50pm EDT: Fifteen minutes before SpaceX’s scheduled launch of Falcon 9 at 12:05 a.m. EDT, the countdown appears to be proceeding as planned. Refueling is progressing smoothly at Launch Complex 40.
As a reminder, here is a list of major milestones in the upcoming countdown. T minus:
- 7 minutes: Falcon 9 will begin cooling its engines before launch.
- 1 minute: The command flight computer begins final pre-launch checks. Pressurization of the propellant tank to flight pressure begins.
- 45 seconds: SpaceX’s launch director verifies the “go” for launch.
- 3 seconds: The engine controller commands the initiation of the engine ignition sequence.
- 0 seconds: Falcon 9 launch.
Updated at 11:41pm ET: “All systems and weather are currently in readiness for launch,” SpaceX officials announced in a tweet.
As a reminder, the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicted a more than 95% chance of “go” conditions for tonight’s launch period.
Updated at 11:31pm ET: SpaceX just announced that refueling procedures for Falcon 9 are underway at Launch Complex 40.
This means the Starlink 6-27 mission is promised to launch at 12:05 a.m. EDT, and if not, the launch will have to be postponed.
Updated at 11:14pm EDT: Tonight’s launch will be the 11th flight of the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage booster, SpaceX reported.
The booster aims to land on the deck of a drone ship at sea 8 minutes and 23 seconds after launch.
Updated at 10:55pm EDT: Below is a list of major milestones in the Falcon 9 countdown timeline.
- 35 minutes: Loading of rocket-grade kerosene and first stage liquid oxygen begins.
- 16 minutes: The second stage of liquid oxygen filling begins.
- 7 minutes: Falcon 9 will begin cooling its engines before launch.
- 1 minute: The command flight computer begins final pre-launch checks. Pressurization of the propellant tank to flight pressure begins.
- 45 seconds: SpaceX’s launch director verifies the “go” for launch.
- 3 seconds: The engine controller commands the initiation of the engine ignition sequence.
- 0 seconds: Falcon 9 launch.
Updated at 10:37pm EDT: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency’s Launch Operations Support Team ahead of tonight’s Falcon 9 launch.
SpaceX’s Starlink 6-27 mission will help Florida Lieutenant Governor Janet Nunez say the Space Coast will achieve a record-breaking 80 orbital launches by the end of the year, with more than 101 launches scheduled for 2024. It is scheduled for shortly after the announcement.
Nunez spoke Monday at a press conference for the Florida Space Art Contest at Space Florida’s headquarters outside the Kennedy Space Center, along with Miami pop artist Romero Britto.
Friday’s SpaceX Starlink mission marked the 60th launch of the year from the Cape, Space Launch Delta 45 said in a photo-filled tweet. Tonight’s launch will extend Cape’s record for consecutive annual orbital launches to 61. For the latest schedule updates on the Cape, please visit: floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Space Force: The probability of the weather going “go” is very high.
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts the probability of “go” launch conditions is greater than 95 percent.
“High pressure is anchored over central Florida (Monday) with light winds and plenty of sunshine. Little change in weather is expected for Tuesday and Wednesday night launch attempts,” the launch forecast said. There is. Wednesday is the backup startup day.
“The primary weather concern at launch for both attempts will be the slight risk of violation of the Cumulus Cloud Rule,” the forecast says.
rick neil He’s a space reporter for FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his story, go to click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1